Face your fears with this yoga sequence by Colleen Saidman Yee

Welcome to the latest from Wellness Council, our handpicked holistic health squad: a tightly curated group that gives the best advice this side of your own personal guru.

Today, world-renowned yogi Colleen Saidman Yee takes us through a series of asanas designed to help you face your fears (and lets us do some surfside dreaming in the process!).

What she covers next is up to you—tell us what what you’re dying to know! Send questions and ideas to experts@wellandgood.com.

The great late master, B.K.S. Iyengar, says that backbends are about facing fear. Why? Well, the problem is that most of us are tight in the shoulders, hip flexors, and spine. That tightness makes back bending elusive—and frustrating.

So the video above is a brief and calm class designed to help you unwind those areas and make backbending more approachable. It will take you about 10 minutes to finish, so find a quiet place at home to watch and practice. After you’ve finished the sequence, you’ll be more prepared to sit down and have tea with your fears.

Colleen Saidman Yee, one of the world’s most celebrated yoga instructors, is the co-founder and co-director of Yoga Shanti in New York City, and Sag Harbor, NY, where she teaches along with her husband, yoga luminary Rodney Yee. She’s also the author of Yoga for Life : A Journey to Inner Peace and Freedom (2015).